Jamie Ridler Studios

Every season has its gifts and some we relate to more readily than others. I’ve always been a spring kinda girl. I love beginnings. I love the fresh start and the fresh air. I love the promise of tulips peeking through the earth and saying hi. I love open windows and singing birds. I love clearing away winter’s debris and feeling new again.

But winter? Winter I find harder to love. It’s cold. It’s dark. It lasts forever. And emotionally, it’s the down note, the dark side, the turning in and dialing down. Living in it right now highlights the time in my life too, a time when for the past long while it has felt like things were moving and shifting deep down in the earth, things I couldn’t do anything about, things I had to wait to see and to understand.

Waiting.

That’s a big part of winter.

I’m not a fan of waiting. I like to dive in. I like to plan the next adventure. I want to taste the next thing. I’m a doer, a driver. When there’s a lull, I look to see where I can pick up the pace. But sometimes, that’s not what’s needed. At all. There’s wisdom in winter.

Fighting the seasons – of the year and of your life – simply doesn’t work. When you resist the tide, all that happens is you get tired.

Winter arrives in her own time and she stays as long as she damn well pleases. In fact, when I think about her like that, I like her more. I love a strong woman who knows her own mind!

And when I stop for a moment, I remember that I like turning in. I love quiet time with a book or my journal and a nice cup of tea. I love having a lazy breakfast with my honey or curling up under a big comforter and sneaking in extra sleep. I love stopping by the pub on a cold, snowy day and sitting by the fire. I love chunky big scarves and rich, hearty soups. I love being gentle with myself and taking time to breathe.

Maybe wintering isn’t so bad after all.

{ 4 comments }

Enjoyed it? Share it.
Email It | Tweet It | Stumble It | Digg It | Save to Delicious